ByMichael Weissenstein, Associated PressAugust 24, 2012

An armored U.S. Embassy vehicle is checked by military personal after it was attacked by unknown assailants on the highway leading to the city of Cuernavaca, near Tres Marias, Mexico, Friday. Two U.S. government employees were shot and wounded in an attack on their vehicle south of Mexico City on Friday, a law enforcement official said.

A Mexican army official said the SUV with diplomatic plates was found after a report about a shootout on the two-lane highway. The army official was not authorized to be quoted by name. He said a Mexican navy captain was also in the vehicle, but was not injured.

The Toyota vehicle was riddled with bullets, most concentrated around the passenger-side window, indicating possible involvement by experienced gunmen.

The shooting occurred on a road winding through a mountainous area where drug gangs, common criminals and leftist rebels have been known to be active in the past.

Rare attacks

Attacks on diplomatic personnel were once considered rare, but this is the third attack in two years.